Learning to Pull

Sun Feb 4, 2007

The saga continues!!

Yesterday, in the lovely 22 degree barn (it was 9 degrees outside, with 15-20 mph winds)(which translates to around -10 wind chill), Quzqo donned his harness saddle, crupper, and I added in the breastcollar and traces!

He was fine with all that, I ground-drove him a bit, when my friend, Sandy, showed up. Once she got her mare situated in her stall, I employed her to act as a "load" for Quzqo to haul! (This is from a book on training to drive, so I had confidence it'd work, heh heh). I tied the traces together at the ends, and hooked a lead rope to them, and gave it to her to hold. She was to walk behind us, and put pressure on the rope/tugs/breastplate, offering up some resistance, to help teach Quzqo to pull against a weight!

Well, he didn't understand at first at all, bless his little horsey heart, poor guy sort of stood there, tried backing, tried going side-to-side, but mean ole Sue kept slapping him on the butt with the reins (not hard, just so he knew what I wanted), and against his instincts, he leaned into the breastplate and started forward. Took a few tries before he figured it out, and he would go for a few yards, pulling Sandy along, then he'd stop and protest, going side-to-side, or turning around totally, LOL...kept us hoppin' to stay behind him!

After about 10 minutes or so he was walking straight lines in the direction I wanted him to go, leaning forward and pulling Sandy along (she wasn't like a dead weight, just offering some resistance)!!

That's a BIG milestone, obviously!

Today I'll put the driving bridle on him! BLINKERS! What will he think of those! Tezlu was NOT fond of them, heh heh.

Hm, might not need a rototiller for the garden this spring, might just get me a plow! Convert myself to the Amish lifestyle!

Naw, I'm too big a fan of buttons.

==============

Today, never mind it was TWO friggin' degrees out, I went out to the barn again. Thank God they kept the horses INside! Of course that also meant Coos was crazy as an outhouse rat from being stuck in his stall, LOL! What a goon!

Lunged him for about 20 minutes (He has got a gorgeous floating trot...when he wants to!), then straight to harness! Too cold to ride!! There's a substantial wind chill when you're riding a horse you know.

I'd put the harness up in the viewing room, so it was nice and warm and supple, unlike when it was FROZEN down in the tack room (it was so cold, Quzqo drool and slobber actually FROZE on my coat!!). Today he got to wear everything except the breeching and the check rein. Yep, today he wore the BRIDLE!!!

Man, they must have pretty weird-shaped Cobs in India, because the bridle BARELY fits his head!! Everything else is BIG on him (luckily it's very adjustable), but the bridle, yeesh! With some tricky adjustments I got the noseband buckled on the very first hole (barely), and there was NO way I could get the throatlatch buckled!! Of course I suspect it'll fit in the summer, when he loses his ridiculously thick winter fur, and if I'd trim his bridlepath (that added about 1/4" there). I think if I punch a couple of holes in the throatlatch, it'll buckle. If not, maybe I can cobble something up, or maybe the eBay seller will sell me one.

He did VERY well with the blinders!! Better than poor Tezlu did, LOL! Tez kept spooking if I touched him or made a noise behind him, since he couldn't see (but did he look sharp!). Coos didn't seem to mind, he was perfectly comfortable. Although when I was leading him to the arena, he kept balking and trying to see, LOL! He almost walked into a post! I know they can't see directly in front...I suspect the blinders need to be shaped a bit as well!

Took him a minute or two to get used to being driven with the blinders, he kept trying to walk into things, I had to remember I'm supposed to STEER him as well, ha! One of the young girls was lunging her pony, and Coos didn't know or care...blinders DO work!

My friend came in just as I'd finished tying the tugs together, and was going to try the pulling again, so I drafted her to be the "load" again! He did sort of okay, I think she was pulling TOO hard, because he kept stopping, and trying to back up. More resistance than a cart would have I'm sure. Poor horse got flustered, but we managed half a circuit of the arena in a calm and civilized manner, and that was enough.

I'll give him a break from driving for a few days I think. He was getting frustrated, I could tell. That'll give me time to punch more holes in his bridle, and maybe get the weather to warm up!